Fault Tolerant Modular Linear Motor for Safe-Critical Automated Industrial Applications

In various safe-critical industrial, medical and defence applications the translational movements are performed by linear motors. In such applications both the motor and its power converter should be fault tolerant. To fulfil this assignment redesigned motorstructures with novel phase connections must be used. In the paper a modular double salient permanent magnet linear motor is studied. Its phases are split into independent channels. The study on the fault tolerant capability of the linear motor was performed via cosimulation, using the Flux-to-Simulink Technology. The conclusions of the paper could help the users to select the optimal linear motor topology for their certain application, function of the required meantraction force and its acceptable ripples.